Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Hello,
I have been struggling with some technical difficulities. I hope that you all have been trying to cook fresh food. The next quick fresh meal I want to post is homemade hamburgers. Insead of stopping off at the McJunk stop. Try this fresh and simple homemade burger recipe.

1 pound of fresh organic grass fed beef
1/4 of a finely chopped bell pepper
2 tbs of cilantro
1/2 small onion
1 clove of garlic
sea salt and pepper to taste

mix ingredients, and form into patties. Fry in 1 tbs of olive oil.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Tuna Casserole

1 can of Albacore tuna (organic available)
2 cups of organic chicken broth
1 pint of organic whipping cream
1 bunch of asparagus spears (organic or farmer's market)
1/2 cup of sliced button mushrooms (canned organic is available)
6 pieces of sun dried tomato (organic)
1 slice of lemon (organic)
1 tblsp of capers (organic available)
1/2 small onion (organic available)
3 cloves of garlic (organic available)
1/2 cup of parmesean reggiano cheese (organic available)
1/2 lb of Orzo or Penne pasta (wheat and organic available)
1 teasp sea salt
1 teasp pepper
1/2 teasp basil
1 bayleaf
2-3 tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The above ingredients are available as organic (pesticide free/additive free) in health food stores and some chain grocery stores. Try to buy organic when possible. If you can't find organic just yet, don't let that deter you. Just make it with conventional foods and you will still see the health benefits of making a meal from scratch. You will need a food processor and a large skillet.

Pasta:
To get started, boil 2 1/2 cups of water with a drop of olive oil for the Orzo. When water begins to boil, add Orzo and stir frequently! (Orzo sticks easily) Boil pasta until el dente, drain in colander, rinse with cold water and cover with plastic wrap or wide pot lid.

Tuna topping:
Next, heat olive oil in the skillet on low medium. Chop the garlic, onion, and sun dried tomatoes in the food processor until fine, then add to skillet. In food processor, chop the lemon slice, capers and asparagus spears on pulse. You want it chunky in around 1/4 inch chunks. Add mixture to skillet. Open the tuna, drain well and add to skillet. Drain off your sliced mushrooms then add them as is to skillet (do not chop). Sautee briefly then add 1/2 the chicken broth and 1/2 the whipping cream. Add more to desired thickness. Add basil, bayleaf, salt and pepper, let simmer on low for twenty minutes, stir occasionally. Serve over Orzo.

This dish takes about 45 minutes to prepare and what an alternative to cardboard flavored tuna-so-help-me!

Welcome!

Welcome to my natural food oasis where I hope to inspire you to venture out of the box (the processed food box to be exact). Would you like to learn how to prepare healthy, hearty meals for yourself and your family from scratch without sacrificing quality after putting in long hours at the office? Are you pressed for time? Don't know where to start or whether to choose organic or conventional foods? Wondering which recipes to try? Want to know how to grocery shop frugally? Interested in knowing how to provide pure, additive free, sound nutrition for your family? All of these issues and more will be addressed in future posts, but for now, why not try cooking an organic ingredient based meal from scratch for your family tonight within 45 minutes. See my next post for Tuna Casserole.

Happy Eating!